Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) plans to introduce legislation aligning with President Trump’s AI Action Plan. Under the Growing University AI Research for Defense (GUARD) Act, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would be permitted to create an AI Institute at a senior military college to integrate AI within the military.
The bill’s information, obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, is intended to position the United States as a leader in the AI industry for defense.
“China and our adversaries are pouring massive resources into AI, and America cannot afford to fall behind,” Jackson told the outlet. “The GUARD Act delivers on President Trump’s mission to ensure America remains the global leader in defense innovation, giving our warfighters the AI-driven edge to dominate our enemies and protect America’s future.”
In July, the White House released its “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan” in accordance with President Trump’s executive order on advancing American leadership in AI development.
“Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people,” the White House said. Policies listed in the plan include exporting American AI around the world, developing data centers, supporting innovation by removing barriers, and preserving free speech in AI models.
“The United States must aggressively adopt AI within its Armed Forces if it is to maintain its global military preeminence while also ensuring, as outlined throughout this Action Plan, that its use of AI is secure and reliable,” the action plan read, discussing AI within the Department of Defense. “Because the DOD has unique operational needs within the Federal government, it merits specific policy actions to drive AI adoption.”
